Missing
by Star-Tigress
Summary: Matthew, tired of being ignored by his family and friends has finally had enough and decides to run away, but what does he do when he realizes no one is missing him? Oneshot songfic based on the song 'Missing' By Evanescence.


**A/N-**_ So, I've been wanting to write a songfic for a while but haven't found a fitting enough song until I was looking through some of my old music and found the song 'Missing' by Evanescence (I used to be quite the little goth girl you know) and immediately thought 'Canada.' _

_Originally this was going to have a sad ending as I was feeling kinda angsty when I started writing this, but since writing always takes my mind off my troubles I cheered up while writing and ended up giving it a happy one instead. If you want it to have a sad ending though, just stop reading at the "~~~"._

_Anyway, here's the story, hope ya like it! _

_Also, for best effect, listen to the song 'Missing' while reading._

_Warning: Quite a depressing story, but with a happy ending._

_Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Axis Powers Hetalia (Wish I did though) or the song 'Missing' by Evanescence._

Missing

Matthew Williams stood in the middle of his bedroom floor and checked his bag again, making sure he had everything he needed. Food, clothes, toothbrush and of course, his stuffed bear Kumajiro. The first -and last- present he ever received. He knew he wouldn't be missed. No one ever noticed he was there in the first place, they would be better off without him. He had tried his best, but it seemed that he was nothing in the shadow of his brother, Alfred. The golden child. The boy that every parent wished was theirs. Not a week went by when he didn't bring home an award of some kind, or a test paper covered in gold stars and red ticks. How could Matthew compare with that? Sure, he didn't get bad marks and his behaviour was always perfect but, compared with his brother, who was he?

Matthew was a quiet child, and because of this he was often overlooked, rarely speaking and rarely drawing attention to himself. He was around seven when people started to forget him. It started with the teachers in school. They never called his name on the register or picked him in class. There was never a place for him on seating plans and if worksheets were handed out he never got one. Next it spread to his friends. If he said hi to them they would simply ignore him or mistake him for his brother, and during conversations he was never heard.

By the time he was ten, not even his family remembered him, only barely acknowledging his existence. Now, at the age of twelve, Matthew had had enough. He looked down at the note on his desk, checking that everything was readable before slipping down the stairs.

_Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
Maybe someday you'll look up,  
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
"Isn't something missing?"_

Matthew stared up at the inviting house in the cold night sadly. This would probably be the last time he ever saw it and it made him sad as he remembered the good times before he was forgotten. His papa's laughing, caring voice, the way everyone laughed and mocked his father's cooking in a good-natured way and of course, cuddling up to his brother when they were small, enjoying the other's warmth. Yes, these were the times he would miss the most, the days when he could share his triumphs and fears with his brother and fathers. The days when they laughed together, cried together and stuck together through good and bad times.

Shouldering his backpack, Matthew trudged down the road, tears stinging his eyes. If they noticed he was gone, if they cared enough to ask around then he would gladly return to them but if not... The thought brought a lump to Matthew's throat but he pressed on. It was too late for second thoughts now.

__

You won't cry for my absence, I know  
You forgot me long ago.  
Am I that unimportant...?  
Am I so insignificant...?  
Isn't something missing?

Matthew leaned against a wall and coughed heavily into his hand. His clothes were torn, his blonde hair matted and dirty and his eyes dull and lifeless. His body was thin and bony, sharp ribs poking through rips in his t-shirt and tears stung his eyes. His food had run out two weeks after running away, and he had only just managed to get by on stuff he had found in bins on the street.

It had been five weeks since he had run away and still no-one had reported his absence. Not a day went by when he didn't scavenge a newspaper, searching desperately for some sign that his family cared about him, wanted him back. A tear managed to seep through his eyelids but he brushed it away.

The blonde straightened up but quickly collapsed into another fit of coughs. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find a warm, safe place to sleep and it was taking a toll on his body.

As he straightened up once more Matthew felt a drop of rain on the back of his neck. He looked up only to have his face drenched in a sudden downpour of rain. With a sob, Matthew collapsed against the alley wall, his face in his hands.

_Isn't someone missing me?  
_

It hurt. It hurt to know that after five weeks, not one person had noticed his absence. He couldn't keep kidding himself that it was only a matter of time because it wasn't. His family wasn't just going to look up after all that time and say 'Hey, where's Matthew?' If they hadn't noticed already then they never would.

He was alone. Alone in a cold and empty world, filled with people too wrapped up in their own problems to notice the starving and broken boy at the edge of their vision and as he sat there in the pouring rain, Matthew wished, wished with all his heart that someone, anyone, remembered him- missed him.

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?_

Arthur Kirkland sat in front of the fire reading the paper. Outside he could hear the rain pouring down the gloomy street. He shivered. What a night to be outside. He turned a page and looked down, grateful of the fire to keep him warm. At his feet, Alfred lay, doing his maths homework, taking advantage of the lit fire.

A call from the kitchen roused the two from their seats by the fire and they made their way into the kitchen. They each took a place at the table and Francis, Arthur's husband entered, a plate in each hand.

"Bon appetit, mon cher~" he smiled, planting a kiss on his lips, while Alfred made gagging noises.

"Geez, get a room, you two." he mocked, causing Arthur turn crimson.

"Shut up, git." he grumbled, a bit embarrassed, "Why don't you go and get your brother?"

Alfred grinned. "Okay." he took a deep breath before yelling at the top of his lungs, practically blasting Arthur out of his chair, "MATTIE DINNER'S READY!"

"Not like that! Git!" Arthur said, sticking his finger in his ear to stop it from ringing. "I meant, go up and get him!"_  
"_Aw, do I have to?" Alfred groaned, while Francis let out a bark of a laugh.

"It is not difficult to simply walk up the stairs, _mon fils_, but since you find it so difficult, _I_ will get him." And with a smile he was gone. Arthur glared at Alfred but the boy just laughed and tucked into his food and after a moment the older man did the same.

Francis knocked on his son's door hesitantly. "_Mon cher,_ dinner is ready!" he called but there was no answer. After a moment's pause, the Frenchman opened the door. He peeked his head round and was surprised to see no-one there. He stepped into the room and looked around, his gaze homing in on a small, handwritten note on the boy's desk.

The blonde man picked it up, expecting to see some kind of drawing, but what it really was shocked and horrified him. He read it through twice, not believing his eyes and then checked the date at the top of the page. _Five weeks ago._

The words finally hit home and Francis let out a scream. "ARTHUR!" He yelled hysterically, tears filling his eyes.

_Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
I know what you do to yourself,  
I breathe deep and cry out;  
"Isn't something missing?  
Isn't someone missing me?"  
_

Arthur and Alfred quickly ran up the stairs to see a shaking Francis looking down at a note clasped in his strong hands. His face was pale and tears were pouring down his face. The two newcomers hurriedly ran over to the man.

"Papa, what's wrong? Where's Matthew?" Alfred asked, shaking his father's shoulder.

"_Mon dieu..._" Francis murmured, his face white as a sheet. "I can't believe... five weeks and we didn't..."

"Francis? Francis love, what happened? Tell me!" Arthur said, looking into his husband's eyes.

"It's Matthew... He ran away..." Arthur's eyes grew wide "Five weeks ago... We didn't notice. _Why?_ How could we not notice that our own son ran away?" Francis' eyes filled with tears again and he sank down to the floor, his fingers letting go of the note. Without hesitation, Arthur picked it up and read it for himself. Soon his eyes too were blurry and threatening to spill over. On the piece of paper, his son had written out his innermost thoughts and hardships. In placed the paper was wrinkled in blotches, as if tears had fallen onto it. With a sob, the British man wrapped his arms around his French husband, crying into his shirt.

Alfred looked down at his parents in dismay. How had he not noticed his own brother had run away? He felt a lump form in his throat and tears sting his eyes, but he didn't let himself cry. He wouldn't be weak. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled out his phone, dialled 999 and asked for the police.

"_Hello, Police here, can you tell us what's wrong?"_

Alfred took a deep breath. "Yes, it's my brother he- he ran away..."

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?  
_

Matthew lay on his back in a wet and dark alley. Rain fell from the heavens and onto his upturned face, making him shiver. For three days it hadn't stopped raining, and the cold and damp had worsened the poor boy's illness, causing him to collapse earlier that day.

He hadn't been able to find food as no one was bothering to go outside and on the day the rain began he had completely given up searching for his name in the papers. His family didn't care. His friends didn't care. Nobody cared and now he knew he was going to die. He had barely enough energy to keep his eyes open and the freezing water was seeping down his spine. He knew that if he fell asleep he would never wake up again.

A single tear fell from Matthew's eye. _'What's the point in trying to stay awake?'_ he thought bitterly. _'It's not as if anyone will realize I'm gone.' _And with that Matthew let his eyes close_._

_And if I bleed, I'll bleed,  
Knowing you don't care.  
And if I sleep just to dream of you  
I'll wake without you there,  
Isn't something missing?  
Isn't something..._

Just before he drifted into unconsciousness, he thought one last thing. _'I hope that they don't realize I'm gone. I hope that they are happy until they die. I will wait for them on the other side.'_

Police officers lined the streets, searching in spite of the rain. They knew there wasn't much hope for a twelve year old missing for five weeks so they scanned the streets half-heartedly, annoyed at being dragged out in the pouring rain. The only people _truly _searching were three blondes in plastic rain-coats, casting torches into every alley. They knew the whole mess was their fault. They had ignored and neglected their son, not noticing when he disappeared for weeks on end. It filled them with shame and they knew they could never forgive themselves if he was lost forever.

It was Alfred who spotted him first, lying in the alley, his hair spread around him like a halo in the darkness.

"Mattie!" he cried, rushing over to the boy's side, Francis and Arthur in close pursuit. Both men gasped as they looked down at his pale face, finding it hard to believe that this was their beautiful and vibrant son. His cheeks were hollow and white as snow, lacking any colour other than a pale and unhealthy blue. His hair was dirty, stained brown by mud as were his clothes and his body was covered in scratches and bruises. Francis let out a sob and rested his head on Arthur's shoulder, as he realized what had become of his beautiful son and Alfred reached out to his brother's face.

"He's cold..." he whispered, tears spilling over his face.

"I-Is he alive?" Arthur asked nervously, "Does he have a pulse?"

Alfred reached hesitantly out to his brother's wrist, and places he finger on a vein. There was an anxious pause for five seconds as he waited for some sign of life. After what seemed an eternity he finally felt a tremor under his finger and his face broke into a relieved grin.

"Yes..." He sighed happily, before his face grew serious again. "But only just. Quick, call an ambulance."

Arthur nodded once and pulled out his phone and dialled a number. He placed the phone to his ear.

"Yes." he said, "We found him."

__

Even though I'm the sacrifice,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't something missing?  
Isn't someone missing me? 

Matthew awoke to a harsh beeping sound grinding against his eardrums. He was cold, he realized and tried to curl into himself to keep warm. As soon as he moved he realized this was a mistake. His body was aching all over and the beeping sound got louder with every move he made, also he could suddenly hear a whisper run through the air.

"Matthew?" a voice said and Matthew's eyes flipped open, only to close themselves again straight after as they were blinded by a cold light. "Matthew? Are you awake?" The voice asked again and he opened his eyes once more, slowly this time.

Above him stood three blonde figures. _'Angels? Am I dead?'_ Matthew thought but as his vision became more focused, he realized with a shock that it was his family who stood above him.

"MATTIE! YOU'RE ALIVE!" came the earsplitting voice of his brother and he winced as arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Matthew could do nothing to protest as he was still weak, but luckily Arthur managed to pry the boy off him, allowing him to breathe again.

"Let go of him git, he's probably still hurting." He then turned to Matthew. "Are you alright lad?" he asked, concern flooding into his voice.

Matthew nodded mutely, shocked by his father's concern.

"I'm sorry bro..." Alfred apologized, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "I was just so, so worried!"

Matthew's eyes widened in shock. "W-worried? A-about me?" he asked, looking up at his family in shock.

"O-of course Mathieu! W-when we found out that you ran away we were just... just... Ah- I'm so sorry Mathieu! I promise I will never forget you again! Je suis désolé!" Francis sobbed placing his head in his hands. "This is all our fault! You nearly died... You were in a coma for days- hypothermia- and I am so sorry!"

Matthew looked up at his family's sad and worried and tears filled his eyes. They _did_ care and he had never been more glad. Quickly, Matthew jumped up and threw his arms around his fathers and brother, ignoring the pains in his body and let himself cry.

"I'm sorry!" he cried out, "I'm sorry I ran away and..." he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Thank you..."

**A/N-**_ There, a happy ending, sorry if it's a bit abrupt though... Hope you liked this anyway, 'cause I know I had fun writing it! (why do I always have fun writing angst, am I weird?) _

_I haven't proofread this because I have homework I need to do for tomorrow and it's five to ten and my internet goes off at ten as well, so yeah... I better hurry and put this up! Also, please review, I wanna know what you thought of my first songfic, it's also my first one-shot story, so is there anything I should do in the future for stuff like this? Anyway, tell me what you think, and g'night peeps!_

_~Tigress_

_xxx_


End file.
